VALLEY/VENTURA COUNTY SPORTS: PREP EXTRA | BETWEEN THE LINES: News, notes and quotes from around the Valley and Ventura County : NEWS FLASH

Beam to Bypass Outdoor Season

Jeff Beam of Cal State Northridge, the runner-up in the men's pole vault in the Big Sky Conference indoor track and field championships last month, will use the outdoor season as his redshirt year.

Beam, who ranks second on the all-time Matador list with a best of 17 feet 3 inches, will use this season to get bigger and stronger, and return for his senior year in 1999.

AUTO RACING

Strong showing: Cory Kruseman of Ventura drove to a third-place finish in the 30-lap Sprint Car Racing Assn. main event Saturday at Manzanita Speedway in Phoenix.

Jay Drake of Canyon Country finished fourth.

In a NASCAR Winston Racing Series main event at Mesa Marin Raceway in Bakersfield, Dave Phipps of Simi Valley finished 14th. Rodney Peacher and T.K. Karvasek, both of North Hills, finished 22nd and 25th, respectively.

FIGURE SKATING

Runner-up: Andrey Chua of Sun Valley finished in a tie for second place in the Junior Olympics on Monday in Plano, Texas.

Chua, 11, tied with YeBin Mok, of Los Angeles. Each scored three points. Chua qualified for the upcoming Junior Olympics international competition.

FYI

Help wanted: Experienced players are being sought for the Mid-Valley Magic girls' softball travel team.